Getting Used to the New
by Loyal Eskamoe
Summary: Xander fights a vampire by himself for the first time.


'There are worse things in the world,' Xander thought contentedly as he ate his Hostess Apple Pie, 'than sugary goodness that's good for you.'

Xander was sitting on the bench outside of the local convenience store. It was 6:30 and the sun was about to go down. He was on his way to meet the girls at the library when the sudden craving for apple food products in a tasty synthetic confection overtook him. The sixteen year old watched as the sun made it's way down. The vampires would be out soon. He'd have to hurry.

It was stupid, and he knew it, but he wanted to stop at the store. He wasn't about to let his life be controlled by the setting of the sun like a vampire. Xander checked to make sure his stake and cross were in easy reach. He'd only been aware of the existence of the supernatural for a couple of months. Long enough to lose one of his best friends, and gain another. He'd never even staked a vampire, (Jessie didn't count, as he was pushed onto the stake.) but was confident he could handle it. After all, how tough could one really be? Ok sure, Buffy has superpowers and always seems to be fighting for her life, but vampires couldn't actually be all that strong, right?

Xander stood up from his bench and discarded the wrapper in the trash. He dusted his hands off and started towards the library, but froze after only a few feet.

A sound, like a bottle breaking, had come from the back of the store. Before Buffy, Xander would have, if he even heard it, ignored the sound and moved on with his life. Now though, a furious frenzy of 'What ifs' swam through his mind. It could be a robbery, or a demon, or a vampire, or a cat, or a dog, or a dog and a cat, or a witch, or something completely new. He should just go. He was kidding himself before, he couldn't handle something like this.

Xander took two steps and stopped. He shut his eyes. It might also be someone that needed help. He pulled out his stake and his cross and ran to the back of the store.

It was too late. He stared, dumbly, at the corpse of a girl from his seventh period class. Blood was oozing from her neck. He tried to remember her name.

Xander put his weapons away and knelt by the body. Her eyes were staring at him. He shuddered, and closed them. Remembering what Giles said, he checked her mouth to see if there was blood in it. If there was, that means the vampire that murdered her, also made her like him. If not, then she was just dinner.

Xander sighed in relief. No blood.

"I knew you'd come back here." An amused voice stated from behind him. Xander whirled around, stumbling a bit. It was a vampire! He was screwed. There was no way he could fight one. Xander looked for an exit. There wasn't one.

"I saw you hanging out with the slayer one time." The demon grinned. "The Master will be pleased I've brought him one of her friends."

Xander swallowed hard. "I ... I don't know what you're talking about." He lied weakly. The vampire laughed.

"Oh yes you do. I saw you at the Bronze. You and some redhead." Those yellow eyes narrowed menacingly. "And the slayer." He advanced and Xander whipped out his cross, holding it unsteadily before him. The vampire laughed again. "What's that if you don't know what I'm talking about?"

"I'm very religious?" He offered.

"Then you should start praying."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, hiding behind the terror, Xander conceded that was some cool dialogue. The demon swatted the cross out of Xander's hand. He watched it soar away in slow motion. It reminded him of the time Jessie had tried to grind down the railings of the bus station on his skateboard. He only made it about halfway before loosing his footing and flying off of it. The cross soared through the air and and hit the wall, just like the skateboard. And Xander, well he hit the ground, just like Jessie. Except Jessie didn't have a hundred and fifty pound vampire on top of him.

Xander wished for a second that Jessie never got staked. Then maybe, if he was turned into a vampire too, the two of them could've been friends again. The demon pulled him up and brushed him off.

"Can't have you looking like that when we meet the Master, right?" He asked happily. Xander did his best not to freak as the demon did his best to make Xander presentable. He swallowed again. The vamp never searched him for other weapons. He still had his stake! "You should be honored," the vampire continued, "meeting someone as great as him." He grabbed the scared teen by the arm. "Ok. Let's roll."

-

It was incredible, in an awkward and horrifying way. The vampire, whose name was Chuck, had decided to tell Xander his life's story.

"... so it was then that I realized I was one of the Damned." Chuck finished cheerfully. He'd let go of Xander and allowed the boy to walk along side him while they headed down Main St. That way, they wouldn't draw unwanted attention. It was unspoken, but obvious, that Xander wouldn't get far if he tried to run.

The boy stared incredulously at Chuck. "The Damned?"

"Well what else would you call us?"

Xander shrugged. "Oh I don't know. How about VAMPIRES?"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "That's just so mundane. We who walk at night must have a name that will be recognized by all!" He said enthusiastically.

"Like 'Vampires'?" Xander repeated. "I knew what those were before I even met the slayer."

"No." Chuck sighed. "You just don't get it do you human? I'm not just an ordinary vampire, I'm of Aurelius. The Master's order."

Xander frowned and wished he had some holy water. That worked really well when Willow threw it on that vampire chick that was attacking Giles on Harvest night.

"Speechless I see." Chuck nodded self importantly. "I don't blame you. To be in the presence of one such as I must be awe inspiring."

"..." Xander couldn't believe it. Could this guy have a bigger head? "Right. Awe. You betcha." Leave it to him to be killed by the vampire equivalent of Cordelia. His life sucked!

Chuck had diverted his attentions to a lovely young lady that was walking by.

'Screw it!' Xander thought to himself. 'If I'm gonna die, then I wanna do it fighting.' He took advantage of the lady's distraction and kicked Chuck in the balls as hard as he could. The vampire's eyes bugged out a little and the lady, to whom Xander may very well owe his life, stared wide-eyed at the altercation.

He pulled out his stake and punched the stunned vampire directly in the face. Chuck fell to the ground and vamped out. The lady took one look at him and ran screaming for the hills.

"You're going to regret that boy." Chuck growled a bit. "It would have been better for you to come quietly. Now I'll have to hurt you."

Xander held the stake out before him like a knife. He backed away from the demon. He was hoping that Chuck wouldn't risk a serious fight in a public place like this, but he was wrong.

Chuck was young and stupid. He snarled frighteningly and advanced. He made a flying tackle to take Xander out. Xander screamed, and jumped out of the way. Chuck slammed head first into the wall Xander was standing in front of. The vampire slumped down and didn't get back up.

"Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!" Xander chanted, breathing heavy. He swallowed hard and poked the vampire with his foot. "Chuck?" The demon twitched, causing Xander to jump back. "Yikes!" The nervous teen looked around frantically, then grabbed a baseball sized rock that was near his foot. Xander slammed the rock into the back of Chuck's head. Twice.

He rolled the vampire over and stared at him. Xander gripped his stake tightly and raised it over his head. He closed his eyes, said a silent prayer, and drove his stake home.

The vampire exploded into dust and Xander stumbled back.

"Woah!" He stared at the spot were Chuck once lay. And grinned.

"That wasn't so tough." Xander stood up and posed heroically. "For I am Xander the Mighty! Protector of Truth and Justice! I laugh in the face of danger, and this time? There will be no hiding on my part!"

Behind him, a cat knocked over a soda can.

Xander ran the entire way back to the library.

-

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and all affiliated characters were created and is owned by Joss Whedon.


End file.
